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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · press · lash · bark · bowl · season · track · fan

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. press — a publisher
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. season — of the year
  11. press — to push
  12. season — in sport
  13. track — a path
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. track — a song
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. track — to keep track
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com